QRG Capital Management Inc. Boosts Stock Holdings in Walmart Inc. $WMT

Key Points

• QRG Capital Management increased its Walmart stake by 3.7% in the first quarter, buying 29,924 more shares and bringing its total holding to 834,001 shares worth about $103.7 million.
• Walmart reported quarterly EPS of $0.66, matching estimates, while revenue of $177.75 billion topped expectations and rose 7.4% year over year.
• Analysts remain broadly positive on WMT, with an average “Moderate Buy” rating and price target of $138.85, though recent insider selling and price cuts on summer essentials highlight ongoing margin pressure concerns.

QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Walmart Inc. (NASDAQ:WMT - Free Report) by 3.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 834,001 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 29,924 shares during the period. Walmart accounts for 1.1% of QRG Capital Management Inc.'s holdings, making the stock its 13th largest position. QRG Capital Management Inc.'s holdings in Walmart were worth $103,650,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its stake in shares of Walmart by 2.9% in the first quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 2,416,580 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $300,333,000 after buying an additional 68,632 shares in the last quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA lifted its stake in Walmart by 253.3% during the 1st quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 384,034 shares of the retailer's stock worth $47,728,000 after acquiring an additional 275,337 shares in the last quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. boosted its holdings in Walmart by 42.1% during the 4th quarter. Vise Technologies Inc. now owns 275,341 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $30,676,000 after acquiring an additional 81,635 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its position in Walmart by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 1,010,886 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $104,182,000 after acquiring an additional 28,026 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Life Cycle Investment Partners Ltd acquired a new position in Walmart in the 4th quarter valued at about $40,855,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 26.76% of the company's stock.

Walmart Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of NASDAQ WMT traded up $2.23 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $112.88. 4,227,692 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 25,999,137. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $122.15 and its 200-day simple moving average is $122.11. The company has a market cap of $898.29 billion, a PE ratio of 39.61, a P/E/G ratio of 4.17 and a beta of 0.60. Walmart Inc. has a twelve month low of $94.23 and a twelve month high of $135.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42, a current ratio of 0.77 and a quick ratio of 0.23.

Walmart (NASDAQ:WMT - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The retailer reported $0.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.66. The company had revenue of $177.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $174.84 billion. Walmart had a return on equity of 21.25% and a net margin of 3.13%.The business's quarterly revenue was up 7.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.61 earnings per share. Walmart has set its FY 2027 guidance at 2.750-2.850 EPS and its Q2 2027 guidance at 0.720-0.740 EPS. Research analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 2.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Walmart News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Walmart this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Walmart is getting attention for its growing e-commerce and membership momentum at Sam’s Club, with faster fulfillment and stronger digital sales supporting the case that the company can keep expanding despite cost pressure.
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and industry commentary continue to point to Walmart’s scale, higher-margin businesses, and advertising growth as offsetting factors that could help sustain earnings resilience. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several items focus on Walmart as a defensive retail name amid questions about U.S. consumer strength, suggesting investors are still viewing WMT as a potential relative winner if spending slows.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary also notes that Walmart’s valuation remains elevated, which may limit upside in the short term even if fundamentals stay solid.
• Negative Sentiment: The biggest headline driver is Walmart’s decision to cut prices on hundreds of summer barbecue essentials, including beef, soda, and snacks, after President Trump said the move came at his administration’s request. That may pressure margins near term and has drawn attention to pricing pressure at the company.
• Negative Sentiment: Investors may also be reacting to the broader message that Walmart is leaning harder into discounting, which could reinforce concerns that competitive pricing could weigh on profitability even if it supports traffic. Article Title

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen restated a "buy" rating and issued a $150.00 price objective (up from $145.00) on shares of Walmart in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Erste Group Bank cut shares of Walmart from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, June 5th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Walmart in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $137.00 price objective (down from $140.00) on shares of Walmart in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $145.00 target price on shares of Walmart in a report on Wednesday, June 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-one have given a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $138.85.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP David W. Guggina sold 11,978 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.82, for a total transaction of $1,435,203.96. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 125,067 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,985,527.94. This trade represents a 8.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Daniel J. Bartlett sold 3,775 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $109.64, for a total value of $413,891.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 630,009 shares of the company's stock, valued at $69,074,186.76. The trade was a 0.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 104,505 shares of company stock worth $12,858,514 in the last three months. Company insiders own 0.09% of the company's stock.

About Walmart

Walmart is a multinational retail corporation that operates a broad portfolio of store formats and digital services. Its core business includes large-format supercenters, discount department stores, neighborhood grocery stores and a membership warehouse chain, Sam’s Club. The company’s merchandising mix covers groceries, household goods, apparel, electronics and pharmacy services, supplemented by private-label products and category-specific offerings. Walmart pairs its physical store network with online platforms and mobile applications to provide omnichannel shopping, fulfillment and delivery options for consumers and businesses.

The company was founded by Sam Walton, who opened the first store in Rogers, Arkansas in 1962; it is headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas.

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